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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22816081">Treading in the Brackish Pool</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock'>Freedom_Shamrock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sodium Can be Harmful to Your Heart [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergent, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Growing Up, High School Angst, Life Lessons, Living with your mistakes, No Romance, Not Canon Compliant, Not entirely bashing, Realism, Recovery, Salt, Tough Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:22:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,553</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22816081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette has unexpectedly switched schools, and her former classmates have to face the music in how their behavior chased away their Everyday Ladybug. The goal isn't to bash anyone (except possibly Lila); it's more about the class coming to the realization that they done fucked up and sometimes there are no take backsies.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Plagg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sodium Can be Harmful to Your Heart [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1640167</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1115</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Introspection of a Former Sunshine Child</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a companion to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/16768114/chapters/39344542">Saltinette</a>, and will make a lot more sense if you've read that.  Saltinette was written based solely on the trailer for Chameleon (before the episode dropped), so that's the source material, not the actual episode or the following events.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrien learns that Marinette has switched schools, and it's quite a blow.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"...And then her parents told me that they didn't want me coming back anytime in the near future," Alya said, the whole class was gathered around her when Adrien returned from lunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nudged Nathanael and whispered, "What's going on?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The red-haired artist let out a heavy sigh. "Marinette isn't out sick. She's transferred schools."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien gasped, horrified. How could Marinette </span>
  <b>leave</b>
  <span>? She was their Everyday Ladybug.  How were they going to get by without her. He forcibly pushed down on his panic; he didn't do well when people left him without warning. For all his father's flaws, he at least had Nathalie warn Adrien when he was going to be gone. Adrien focused on Alya, hoping to get more clear information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can you believe they kicked me out? That they treated me like that?" Alya asked, far more indignant than he expected for someone whose best friend had just left school without warning. "I used to be welcomed like family. And </span>
  <b>she</b>
  <span> hasn't answered a single text, phone call, or e-mail in eleven days. I counted." She looked around at her audience. "Who even </span>
  <b>does </b>
  <span>that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm so sorry, Alya," Lila said, hugging the girl from the side. "You didn't deserve any of that." Her mournful expression was straight out of a soap opera, and the class murmured in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did they say why she left Dupont?" Adrien asked. He needed more information, but he also wanted to redirect the topic if he could. He couldn't stomach the idea of them bad-mouthing Marinette further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alya shook her head, letting out a little huff of annoyance. "They told me to look at my recent behavior to see where</span>
  <b> I</b>
  <span> went wrong, like it's </span>
  <b>my </b>
  <span>fault." She shrugged. "And I've gotta tell you, I have no idea what I supposedly did. I tried to explain that she's been acting off lately, I mean, she's been super paranoid and jealous and stuff, and I'm worried about her, you know?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't help but feel this is all my fault," Lila said in a calculated soft whine. "I'm </span>
  <b>so </b>
  <span>sorry I came between you two, Alya."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alya shook her head. "It's not </span>
  <b>your </b>
  <span>fault, girl."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien swallowed the words he wanted to speak. Words that would contradict that statement. He suspected Marinette's departure was directly linked to Lila's return to school, but he couldn't bring it up, not right now. Not with everyone assuring her otherwise. They'd just turn on him, too, the way they had Marinette. He staggered away from the group as horrible awareness settled on him. According to Chloe, most of the class had been together since </span>
  <em>
    <span>école maternelle</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It had always been clear to him that Marinette was the best of them, and as such, it made sense for everyone to love and trust her. But in no time at all, Lila took that all away and turned everyone against her. What kind of people did </span>
  <b>that</b>
  <span>, betraying someone they'd known most of their lives? Not real friends, that's for sure. And if they did it to her, why wouldn't they do the same to him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Growing up seeing social interactions in anime and in books, he was always sure he'd be the kind of person to recognize evil in his peers. He'd do what was right and stand up for others. He'd been eager to do that very thing as Chat Noir, but it was easier to do it when you were protected by a mask. When there was no risk to fragile and new social connections, he could be as brave as he always thought he'd be. But here, in class. It was harder. And that meant he wasn't really brave at all, didn't it? If he was truly going to be the kind of hero Ladybug deserved at her side, he needed to make some changes in his actions. He needed to figure out where and how he'd gone wrong so he could make it right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette hadn't been to Dupont since Lila's return, and even at the time it had felt like a dark day - when the whole class was outraged at Marinette because she didn't want to be pushed to the back of the classroom. He'd been drawn into the herd mindset but frankly, thinking it through later that evening, he'd totally seen how horrible it might have made her feel. On top of the seating fiasco she said she'd been chased by an akuma, and somehow Lila managed to make everyone doubt Marinette on that front. He could no longer remember the logic his classmates had followed, something about jealousy, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. He'd been too worried about his friend, who was pale and shaking after she'd returned from a long bathroom break. If she'd actually been targeted, that would be terrifying. He couldn't even imagine how that must have felt, and yet she'd somehow managed to fight it off or avoid akumatization, which was a huge accomplishment. He was also grateful because he couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to fight the clever girl as an akuma. She'd probably be the worst ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He'd tried writing her a card of support that night, but it sat on his desk, unfinished because he couldn't find the right words. Though it hurt to say, the way her friends hadn't been there when she needed them, and their doubt in her was probably enough to make her leave.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Chat Noir swung through the open window and landed lightly in the dark bedroom. After a quick assessment to confirm it was as empty as ever, he muttered a quiet, "Claws in."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Plagg spun out of the ring, oddly quiet. Usually he'd be demanding cheese, but he was apparently aware of Adrien's low mood, showing a degree of empathy Adrien had never seen out of the grumpy cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien sighed and turned to stare out the window at the lights of the city. While Marinette had occasionally turned into a nearly incoherent mess around him, their friendship had grown over the time he'd known her. He hated the very real fear that he'd lost her. It wasn't just because she was one of his first friends or because he loathed the idea that he'd be forever lumped in with people who had truly betrayed her. No. Losing the opportunity to have someone so brilliant in his life was like the sky losing a prominent constellation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You okay, Kid?" Plagg asked, floating over to rest on the window sill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien shrugged. Of course he wasn't okay, but that's not really what his kwami was asking. The real question was would he be okay eventually, and he couldn't answer that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's the plan?" Plagg asked. "How do we get Pigtails back?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien looked down at his kwami and frowned. Of course even Plagg wanted to bask in her presence. "I don't know that we can." He was far from an expert on this sort of social issue, and he knew he couldn't go to Nathalie or his father for guidance. "I think that for now…" Ugh his eyes felt hot and his chest went tight. "I think we have to give her space." It hurt to say that out loud. He bit his lip, then gave up all attempts to hold back his feelings and a couple of tears immediately slid down his cheek. "Her parents won't let any of us see her, and pushing against her wishes would be wrong."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The big room was silent for a moment. "So we're giving up?" Plagg looked crushed, something Adrien had never seen before. Usually the tiny being of destruction hid his more tender feelings behind bravado, sarcasm and cheese.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien shook his head. "No. But we're going to wait and give her time to move past what happened." He needed a better understanding so he could apologize the right way. "And while we wait, I'll figure out how to prove that I'm really sorry for my part in what happened. I need her to know that if she ever lets me back into her life again, I won't fuck up again." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>People like Marinette Dupain-Cheng were unbelievably rare and deserved to be treasured. While he'd always known that, he hadn't done what he should to show her that. Between making it up to her and figuring out how to be truly brave as Adrien, he had a lot of self-improvements to make. While he was good at research, this would probably require more than just reading articles. What he really needed was a mentor.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks all for being patient.  I had fully intended on getting this done in spring 2019, but work on the original treatment of Something Familiar had priority. I do have a list of ideas for continuing this, some that I came up with myself and others that came out of comments, questions, and feedback, so thanks to all who read Saltinette and pitched in their two cents.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Some Scoops are Sour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alya realizes she hasn't seen or heard from her bestie in far too long, and she heads over to the bakery at lunch to get the scoop.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a bit of Alya's perspective and should probably be chapter 1 since it happened before Adrien's chapter, but I thought of it after, so here it is as chapter 2 (I may flip their positions in the future).  Please note that this is not season 3 post Chameleon compliant (and in fact isn't compliant with Chameleon since Saltinette was written based on the trailer before the show aired).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The last few weeks had been crazy busy. It felt like Hawk Moth had stepped up his game and the akumas were even more wild and destructive than usual. Alya sighed as she settled into her seat in class, editing her latest article so she could post it before class started. She managed to finish ahead of the warning bell, and she greeted her classmates as they filtered in. Something felt off at school, and she gazed around the room in an attempt to identify it. Now that she had time to really think about it, she realized something had felt not-quite-right for the last two weeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey babe," Nino said, sliding into his seat beside her. "Working early, I see." He held up his phone, giving it a little shake to indicate he'd already read her latest post.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled at him. "The news doesn't wait for a convenient time." It was so nice to be able to sit with him. Though, now that she was thinking about it, she wondered if maybe she should have talked to Marinette first before switching seats. It felt like she'd hardly seen her best friend in days… wait.  The realization was like a splash of cold water kicked up from a passing truck. She couldn't remember actually interacting with Marinette in days. Many days. Far too many days.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey," Nino said softly. "Is something wrong?" His big warm hand brushed down the goosebumps on her arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Has Marinette been to school this week, like at all?" she asked. It was far too early for her bestie to be there. Was she sick and Alya hadn't noticed? God that would be crappy of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hmmm." Nino thought for a moment. "I don't think I've seen her since… gosh was it even last week?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya's thumbs tapped at her phone as she rushed to open messaging so she could text Marinette. The date on her last outgoing message to her best friend was ten days ago. How had it been that long since she'd checked in on Marinette? She swallowed, uncomfortable as she read the last few messages in the exchange.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Babe," Nino said quietly. "Please tell me you've at least called her some point in the last few days."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged her shoulders uncertainly, her throat unbearably tight and her eyes suddenly dry. Marinette's last message had come in eleven days ago, in the evening.  It had been the same day Lila had returned to class from Achu. The day Marinette had come back from the bathroom tear-stained and shaking, insisting she'd almost been akumatized, but no one believed her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Marinette: </b>
  <em>
    <span>UR my best friend. WHY don't you believe me?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Alya: </b>
  <em>
    <span>I DO know you, and I know U tend to wig on me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p><b>Alya:</b> <em><span>Can U B sure U really saw what U thought U did? That's all I'm asking.</span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There had been no further response from Marinette after that. Alya had been so busy with her blog, and the sudden spike in followers that came on the heels of Lila's interview, that she hadn't realized Marinette never replied. The next morning she'd sent two messages, and looking at them now, it did not paint her in a very favorable light.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Alya</b>
  <span>: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Girl, U should bring macarons to class today. It'll show everyone there's no hard feelings from yesterday's drama.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p><b>Alya:</b> <em><span>Pro-tip - I'm really craving the salted caramel ones. ;)</span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was it possible Marinette was out sick, for so long? Alya cobbled together a quick message, apologizing for not texting in so long and asking for a status update. That done, she hunted through her phone log.  Surely she hadn't gone eleven days with no word from her best friend and not noticed. Right? She had to scroll repeatedly through incoming and outgoing calls before she found the last time she'd talked to Marinette. She yanked off her glasses and covered her face with her hands. She hadn't spoken with her best friend on the phone in twelve days, not since the night before Lila came back to class. She'd been too busy to answer Marinette's call after school, and in retrospect that was a shitty thing to do. Even if her bestie had only </span>
  <b>thought</b>
  <span> she'd seen a black butterfly, she was clearly shook up. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd ever seen Marinette so distressed. God this was a mess. How on Earth was she supposed to fix this?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Did you two have a fight?" Nino asked, his voice low.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't know… maybe?" It hadn't been much of a fight. Marinette had been jealous of Lila, and to be fair, the Italian girl was living the dream. She'd never seen Marinette so nasty and calculating with anyone before, not even Chloe. In an effort to keep her bestie from saying or doing something that she'd later regret, Alya had shut her down immediately each time she raised a complaint about Lila. Maybe she should have handled it differently, taken her aside to speak privately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't think it counts as a fight, but I was pretty firm with her about her attitude toward Lila," she explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Did you listen to what she said?" Nino asked. "I mean, you should always cut your best girl some slack."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at him and frowned. "I… think so?" She couldn't honestly remember.  It had been too long ago, and that made it more than a little terrible. "You know she gets possessive of Adrien, and everything she said was so… mean. It was like she had convinced herself Lila was lying just so she could dislike something about her. Honestly, it was so unlike Marinette." She hid her face in her hands again. "I don't want to lose my best friend," she muttered, because that's what this felt like, silent treatment or an extended tantrum.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard Nino huff out a breath before his hand rested on her back. "It's okay, babe. You know her.  She forgives everyone. Just make sure you're sincere when you apologize, and it'll be fine."</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>She'd somehow made it through the morning classes, though her notes were spotty and she was definitely not bringing her A-game today. Nino nudged her knee with his, silently letting her know he had her back. His notes were always pretty good.  Maybe not as thorough as her own, but far better than Marinette's scatter-shot technique. Marinette had some odd brain quirk that allowed her to remember lecture content based on whatever she was doodling at the time. She could look at a scribbly dress and its accessories she'd thrown together during literature, and somehow recall that the character of </span>
  <span>D'Artagnan was based on the historical figure Charles de Batz de Castelmore who served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the bell rang for lunch, Alya gave Nino's hand a squeeze. "I'm going to head over to the bakery and see if Marinette's well enough for a visitor." She probably had the flu or something, and Alya had gotten her shot, so it would be safe. She couldn't bear to wait until after school to reassure herself that everything was okay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You want company?" he asked, tilting his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, she did. Having Nino there would keep any of Marinette's possible wrath to a minimum, insulating Alya until she had a chance to get her apology out. But at the same time, she owed it to Marinette to weather that anger, if there was any, and she didn't really want her boyfriend to see her grovel the way she might have to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think," she said slowly, "this is something I need to do myself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded, offering her a little smile. "You've got this."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She let herself be buoyed by his certainty as she headed out of school. She </span>
  <b>did </b>
  <span>have this. Everything would be fine. She and Marinette were strong enough to move past whatever this blip was. She imagined climbing the stairs to her best friend's room, maybe bringing the lunch Sabine had prepared for her. She'd open the curtains to let in the sunshine and they'd catch up a bit. It would be fine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She entered the bakery, along with the rest of the lunch time rush. It didn't feel weird to be here, and it certainly didn't seem like it had been two weeks since her last stop in. Her confidence wavered when she realized it </span>
  <b>hadn't </b>
  <span>been that long. She and some of the girls had brought Lila to see the bakery just last week. And now that she was thinking about it, Alya hadn't even noticed her best friend wasn't with them. Oh god, she hoped Sabine hadn't mentioned seeing them, when they hadn't even asked about Marinette. She pushed the worry away. She could explain that. It had been a crazy morning, starting off with an akuma before school and a pop quiz in science. Lila was still hopeless at finding her way around Dupont and the girls were taking it in shifts to help her out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya stepped around the crowd toward the counter. Though she'd been welcome to head up to the apartment in the past, she felt compelled to check in first. After all, Marinette had to be pretty sick to miss so much school. Sabine glanced up and Alya caught her eye, smiling. She pointed toward the apartment with her thumb. "I'm just going to go check on Marinette."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabine held up one finger, a caution. "Please wait there a moment, Alya. I need to speak with you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya nodded and waited while her best friend's mom went through the process of helping the many customers who flocked to the best bakery in Paris. Eventually Tom joined her, assisting and speeding up the process. It would have been nice if Sabine could leave him to help the customers so she could get Alya upstairs, but it was fine. She chided herself for her impatience. At one point, Tom glanced over at her, looking surprised before an uncharacteristic frown made its way onto his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually the crowd had been diminished and Sabine left Tom to tend the shop. She led Alya out of the bakery to the bottom of the stairs to the family apartment. "Alya, what are you doing here?" Her voice was even, almost stern.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm here to check on Marinette," Alya said brightly, pushing ahead despite the wrongness she felt around her. "She must have caught something awful to be out of school for so long."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Marinette isn't ill." Sabine frowned. "Is this a game to you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya stared at Sabine in confusion. "Game? Why would this be a game? What do you mean she isn't sick?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Who told you she was out sick?" Sabine asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya opened her mouth, then hesitated, closing her mouth and rethinking the situation. Why was Sabine angry?  And at her? "Well… she hasn't been in school. And Marinette may be late at times, but she doesn't miss unless she's ill."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And you, as a reporter, surely chose to verify your assumption with fact, correct?" Sabine asked pointedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"She's not answering my calls or messages," Alya said, keeping her phone in her pocket. She didn't really want to have to share that evidence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And I suppose you have no idea why that might be," Sabine said placidly. "You need to hone your observation skills a bit more before you'll be ready to take the news world by storm."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya shivered, but decided against following that statement up with anything. "Please, Sabine, may I speak with Marinette?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabine's eyes narrowed. "I'd prefer you call me Madame Cheng, dear. We aren't as familiar as I once thought."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was definitely a bad sign.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And no," Sabine continued. "You may not speak with Marinette, partly because she isn't here and partly because she has no interest in speaking with anyone from your class."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya felt like she'd swallowed a rock, and it lay heavy in her stomach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Marinette has changed schools," Sabine announced. "She will not be returning to Dupont."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya gasped in horror. How? "Why would she switch schools? And without telling us?" She would later reflect that her words came out in an undignified screech, but for the moment she was too caught up in the horror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The environment at Dupont, in your class in particular, had grown decidedly toxic." Sabine let out a sniff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toxic? She supposed Chloe's shenanigans had probably reached that level of awful. "Sabine--" She broke off when the woman cleared her throat. "Madame Cheng, I mean," she said urgently, hoping to correct and regain some control of the conversation. "Why wouldn't she tell me at least?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I can't tell you that, Alya," Sabine said evenly. "You wouldn't hear me if I told you, anyway, but you might try to reflect on your recent behavior to see how you might have driven your once-best friend away."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no way this was her fault! </span>
  <b>She </b>
  <span>hadn't pushed Marinette away. She was a good friend, the best friend. She'd never do that. "I have </span>
  <b>no </b>
  <span>idea what you're talking about. Marinette's been a little off recently. We have a new girl in class, and…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Enough!" Sabine snapped. "Alya, I have entertained you and your questions because you were once my daughter's dearest friend. And while you may not have intended to discard her in favor of something newer and shinier, you did. You are going to have to accept that these things are beyond your ability to influence." She settled her hands on her hips. "This conversation is over, and I would appreciate it if you and the rest of the students from Madame Bustier's class </span>
  <b>not </b>
  <span>return to the bakery for the foreseeable future. Your families are welcome, but you are not." She turned away, giving Alya the clear message that she wouldn't listen to anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Swallowing her shock, and shaking a little on the inside, Alya rushed through the bakery and out the door, hating the cheerful bell that mocked her on the way out.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whew!  Alya's perspective was tough to write. My goal here is not to vilify Alya, but to show her as a 14-15 year old who got caught up in things and made some bad decisions. In future chapters we'll see how she learns to live with the consequences of her mistakes.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Cognitive Dissonance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Juleka has managed to put off thinking about losing Marinette as a classmate for weeks. But now it's time to face the facts.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please note that this is not season 3 post Chameleon compliant (and in fact isn't compliant with Chameleon since Saltinette was written based on the trailer before the show aired), though I am mentally including some of the Chameleon and post-Chameleon Lila shenanigans as background by this point.  It's been about three weeks since Marinette withdrew from Dupont and a week since Alya found out.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Juleka let her mind wander from the history chapter they were supposed to be reading to the classroom. It felt different than it used to, and not in a good way. Juleka couldn't quite define it, it just felt… different. Wrong even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back before Adrien started school and before Marinette became truly effective at standing up for all of them, school had been okay. While everyone had to be aware of Chloe at all times, mostly to avoid drawing her attention, she tended to reserve her harshest actions for those who dared enter her bubble. And Marinette. Sure, there were the few bad days here or there when Chloe was in an exceptionally bad mood, but overall school had been okay. The classroom felt bright and open, an environment ideal for expanding young brains, as madame Bustier liked to call it. And while Juleka wouldn't have felt comfortable sharing things dearest to her heart, other than with a select few classmates, general conversation was easy enough. There hadn't been pressure to be perfect, or trendy, or on point with topics or opinions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After Hawkmoth's first appearance school had a vibe of being perpetually two steps away from a panic attack. But to be totally fair, most of Paris gave off the same vibe and there was something comfortable in that familiarity. It was an environment that Marinette somehow thrived in, as if the constant disturbance was enough to calm down her galaxy brain and allow her to help them all shine brighter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Juleka's wistful smile was hidden behind the curtain of hair in front of her face. At the back of the room, she didn't need to worry about someone noticing and calling her out on it. In those first few months of city-wide uncertainty, Marinette had brought out the best of them. Sure, she tended to flake out and disappear here or there, and Juleka suspected those were the times when things became too much for the other girl, and she needed to decompress on her own. They asked so much from her, and she took it, carrying them all. But other than the random disappearances, Marinette was everywhere all the time, doing things for them, bringing them treats, and encouraging them, even when she had no reason to. Her celebration in honor of Queen Bee was a testament to how far Marinette would go to help her class, because frankly Marinette had more reason than any of them to loathe Chloe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Marinette gone, the classroom was somehow gloomy even on the sunniest days. Ugh. Like Luka, she sometimes struggled to come up with the words she wanted, but unlike her brother, music didn't help her find or express the label or concept she wanted to apply to something. She had her own issues, but synesthesia wasn't one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, they'd all assumed Marinette was sick, and none of them really paid attention to how long it had been since they'd seen her. Things had been unbearably tense the last day she'd been in class… the first day Lila had been back from her travels, actually. It was a relief to return to school on Monday and not pick up in that same state. Instead, it felt as though they were waiting for a bad storm to pass, and while she knew others noticed it, too, no one seemed keen to mention it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't until Alya tried to go see her at lunch last week that they realized how wrong things had gone. That was when the soul of the class shattered… no. Marinette had been their heart.  The class had lost its heart when it lost her, when they pushed her away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The corners of Juleka's wistful smile turned downward and she felt a lump in her throat. The thing that she'd been running mental gymnastics around all day was finally there in front of her, utterly inescapable. They had lost Marinette, a girl who was so sweet and kind that she ran herself ragged to make her friends happy. When she came to them for help, they responded with suspicion and impatience. They treated her like they treated Chloe these days, harshly and without the kindness she embodied and deserved. And why? Because she didn't like Lila? It made no sense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In retrospect, it was totally fair that she didn't want to be moved from the spot she'd been victorious in taking back from her bully at the start of the school year. They'd moved her without thinking about that, without even asking. And then they were mad at her when she was unhappy about it. Was it really fair to expect her to go along with their wishes without a word? She wasn't a doormat, or she'd never have stood up for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She'd looked on the verge of a panic attack when she came in claiming to have been cornered by an akuma butterfly in the bathroom. They'd all been akumatized and seen people get akumatized. They all knew how scary that was, and Marinette had managed to avoid it for so long. It was probably half the reason she was prone to vanishing on them. She didn't seek attention, and the more Juleka thought about it, the less it made sense that Marinette was acting out of jealousy.  She'd helped set up her crush with another girl, and had done nothing to sabotage Kagami or the date. How had they forgotten about that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette made no attempt to hide her contempt for Lila, but that didn't automatically make her actions suspicious. Or it shouldn't have. It was uncharacteristic for Marinette to dislike someone the way she did Lila, and it was baffling. Sure, she was prone to snap judgements, witness her first meeting with Adrien. But she was also very reasonable. Once she had cooled down, she let Adrien explain the situation, and her perspective changed completely. If, after all this time, Marinette still didn't like Lila, could that possibly mean she had a valid reason?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette said the other girl was lying, and none of them believed her. They didn't want to believe her. Juleka suddenly felt sick. What if they had thrown away their heart for a liar? There would be no fixing it, and she couldn't even talk it through with anyone. Rose wouldn't believe her, not if she didn't believe Marinette. And there was no way she could tell her brother what she'd been part of.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Juleka is a quiet teen who has a lot going on in her head. She has her moments of boldness and strength, as well as her moments of meekness. She's more perceptive after the fact, when she's had a chance to think things through and look at all the elements. She seems one of the least likely to join in the mob mentality and most likely to realize just how much they messed up.  I wanted to include her perspective because with the potential Lukanette vibes of Saltinette, and Juleka's relationship with Luka, she's going to need to come up again once Luka wins that contest.</p><p>I won't be writing all the classmate perspectives, probably just focusing on these three and maybe Bustier.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Bad Bishop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Caline Bustier contemplates her teaching philosophy in the wake of Lila's arrival to the class.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Appreciation to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diamond">Diamond</a> for suggesting (back on chapter 2) that a Caline Bustier perspective might fit well into this part of the story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Caline Bustier had started her teaching education with a focus on the pedagogy developed by Maria Montessori. While she'd eventually decided she wanted to work with </span>
  <span>collège or lycée students, she saw potential in the hands-on, self-directed, and collaborative efforts that were the hallmark of the Montessori method. She felt that if she provided age-appropriate lessons and support to these secondary students, she could turn out the most engaged learners. Her efforts showed remarkable results, with her students being the most bold freethinkers at Dupont. As a result, Monsieur Damocles had been willing to keep her cohort together so they could continue to build on that progress each year, using the other classes as controls to see if her model was, in fact, better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was true that things weren't perfect. Poor neglected Chloe continued to lash out at her classmates. She seemed to need so much more support and intervention than she should at this point. But Marinette had truly blossomed, becoming the class leader that they needed. Of course, Hawkmoth's arrival in Paris made teaching harder in all the school's environments, but it seemed especially taxing to her students. She'd had to alter her model a bit to keep them focused, a firm but gentle hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While the adjustments weren't perfect, and her students were much more prone to flights of fancy, they had settled into a situation that seemed to work. Since adding morning meditation, her special class was more focused and apparently less appealing to the local terrorist, as none of her students had been akumatized in some time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Lila came to class. Her first day seemed to have triggered a </span>
  <b>rash </b>
  <span>of difficulties, including Lila's own akumatization. And while Caline couldn't figure out how, it appeared to have also resulted in Adrien being briefly removed from school. She never found out why Monsieur Agreste pulled the boy from Dupont or why he subsequently reversed his decision, but she suspected Marinette had a hand in it. The girl was a born problem-solver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Lila had gone traveling with her mother for several months after her enrollment, and while she met with them weekly through the wonders of technology, she didn't truly become a member of the class community. To be fair, it was hard to embrace someone who was so rarely a part of the group and who was at such a distance. It also meant that the issues that had been raised on her arrival were unresolved, causing them to fester and become toxic. There was nothing for it, and the resolution would simply have to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lila's return came during a blessedly peaceful week, free of akumas that impacted school as well as any other classroom drama. But it had gone quite badly quite quickly, and when she really considered it, Caline could say it was predictable and could have been better managed all around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her star pupil Marinette had been late to class, hardly unusual, though she'd actually texted ahead, warning Caline that she'd been caught in a morning attack in a neighboring arrondissement while making a delivery for the bakery. By the time Marinette arrived, the class had welcomed Lila into their ranks, and gone so far as to rearrange the entire seating chart to accommodate her disability and needs. Caline was feeling particularly proud about that, though in retrospect, there probably hadn't been any need to shuffle quite so many students, and they really should have held off on moving the one student who was absent, at least until she could participate in the process. Yes. That had been a most unfortunate snag. And now that she thought about it, Marinette had more attachment to her seat than she might have any other year. It was totally fair and expected that she might well see it as a badge of honor, having wrested it back from Chloe in the first week of the year.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That had definitely been a misstep, and something she, as the teacher, really should have guided the other students away from. They were still learning to be compassionate beings, and it would have been an excellent teachable moment. But by the same token, Marinette was their representative and the class model. She should have been able to accept the impermanence of her trophy seat with more grace. Surely she would have offered the seat up willingly, had she been present, so there was no need for hurt feelings now. The class hadn't been informed that Marinette's tardiness was excused and had pounced on her over that. Again, something she could have discreetly discouraged without sharing personal information, so Caline accepted that she bore some of the blame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was a bit blind-sided by the way her students reacted when Marinette showed up and expressed disappointment at the seating arrangement. There was </span>
  <b>no</b>
  <span> kindness or compassion in their explanation of the situation, only judgement and anger. Did the class care so little for the girl who did so much for them, that they couldn't find </span>
  <b>any </b>
  <span>understanding in their hearts? Had the class gone from respecting Marinette as a leader to </span>
  <b>expecting </b>
  <span>her to simply give them everything?  That and their uniform hostility was quite concerning. That Marinette's self-described best friend didn't even offer a compromise or alternative was a stark sign that something had gone severely wrong in her class, and Caline was at a loss to address it. It was the opposite of what she'd expected. But then, as she thought on it later, she realized that Marinette was usually the one to lead the charge and encourage her classmates to consider the other perspective, to care about each other, even when the situation was charged..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Caline needed to reassess </span>
  <b>everything</b>
  <span>. It was daunting and horrifying, frankly, opening the possibility that only Marinette had been truly absorbing the social-emotional lessons, that Marinette's encouragement and actions had been the sole reason the class appeared to be the thoughtful freethinking leaders of the future.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wasn't planning on working on this (Hero Cafe is due for an update, I'm well into Sweardrien, a follower milestone piece, and I'm TRYING desperately to get a Halloween "Something Familiar" sequel together), but writer brain barfed this into my mind and it had to be done.  :)</p><p>Bad bishop is a chess term for a bishop that is blocked by its own pawns, limiting its ability to move to escape, capture or support other pieces. It is not always easy (or even possible) to improve a bad bishop's situation.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Halo Effect and Confirmation Bias</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Lila cancels last minute on their sleepover, Alya has an uncomfortable discussion with Nora.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another look at Alya's perspective a few weeks after Marinette has left the class.  She's got some introspection and a crapiphany ahead of her.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm soooo sorry, Alya," Lila insisted. "Our accountant called me because of some irregularities in our finance reporting. And it looks like I'm going to have to spend the entire weekend playing dedective with spreadsheets and receipts." Her sigh was audible through the phone. "I'm so sorry I have to cancel our sleepover."</p><p>"Not gonna lie, that's a serious bummer, girl," Alya admitted. They'd both been looking forward to this overnight for a while. And they'd already had to reschedule twice. "But you gotta do what you gotta do. I get that." She wished she could figure out a way to get some fun time together while also helping her bestie with her charity work. "Hey! I have a great idea. Why don't you bring your work over and I'll help you with it. I'll be able to help you get through it faster, so you can get some of your weekend back."</p><p>"Oh!" Lila gasped. "That would be wonderful!" There was a moment of silence. "Are you fluent in Italian? Our accountant keeps all the records in Italian, so there's a lot of translating back and forth..."</p><p>She sounded so hopeful and Alya hated to have to burst her bubble. "Sorry. I'm not even conversational in Italian."</p><p>"It was a nice thought though," Lila said. "We'll make this work one of these days, I'm sure of it."</p><p>"Good luck," Alya said, hoping she'd be able to work out the problems quickly. "And if you wrap up early enough to hang out this weekend, I'd love to see you."</p><p>"I'll let you know," Lila promised. "Ciao!"</p><p>Alya slouched back on the couch, fiddling with her phone between her hands and staring over at her little sisters bouncing around in front of the television. This was going to be the best sleepover. The one that reminded her she was a good person and a good friend. An opportunity to have fun free of the weird tense atmosphere that seemed to have descended on the class of late. Only it wasn't.</p><p>She didn't blame Lila. Goodness, no. It was like Adrien. She had a busy life with a lot of responsibilities, and being her friend meant you had to understand that her availability was not always hers to choose. But sometimes she missed the simplicity of being Marinette's friend. The uncomplicated sleepovers that were generally only disrupted by akumas, and in those cases it was Marinette who was understanding of Alya's urge to capture the footage.</p><p>"What's up, Bug-Blogger?" Nora asked, sitting down next to her. "Where's your friend."</p><p>Alya sighed. "She had to cancel," she tried not to sound too disappointed. "Some problem at one of the charities she runs." She shrugged and offered her big sister a small smile.</p><p>"Well that sucks," Nora said. "Why's a kid got so much responsibility for a business, though? She deserves to still be a kid."</p><p>Alya nodded. She was beginning to feel that sentiment rather strongly. "Yeah. But she's the founder, so..." She let out a huge breath. "But I guess that means I can watch the sapotis and you can hit the gym if you want."</p><p>"Why don't you invite the Baguette over?" Nora suggested. "We haven't seen her in weeks."</p><p>"Yeah, about Marinette.. " Alya sighed heavily. "She's switched schools. Doesn't want anything to do with me anymore." It was nice to see the shock on her sister's face, but it wasn't enough. She'd rather have her creative and sweet friend back. But maybe she hadn't known Marinette as well as she'd thought. If she'd gotten so bent out of shape over a boy... and accusing a disabled girl of lying. That was just too much.</p><p>"Wait, what?!" Nora looked utterly shocked. "I need you to go back to the beginning and explain what happened, because that seems all sorts of wrong."</p><p>Taking a breath, Alya launched into the story of Lila's return to school and Marinette's jealousy. "She kept insisting that Lila was lying." She felt more outrage now than she had at the time. "It was excessive and completely ridiculous. I mean, she risked Max's eyesight to prove a point, and she just hurt Lila more. Then she came into class claiming that she'd almost been akumatized."</p><p>"Yikes," Nora said, straightening up. "That had to be scary for her."</p><p>Alya snorted. "She was lying, obviously."</p><p>Nora gave he a look that halted the story for a moment. "What makes you so sure she was lying?" she asked, her tone even, but that uncertain expression on her face.</p><p>Alya frowned. "You know what it's like. You've been there. There's no turning it down."</p><p>Nora leaned back a bit. "Just because we weren't able to turn it down, doesn't mean it's impossible."</p><p>"There is no record of anyone successfully avoiding akumatization," Alya pointed out.</p><p>Nora shrugged. "If someone was successful, they may prefer to keep it to themself rather than risk being repeatedly targeted by Hawkbutt in an effort to troubleshoot his techniques."</p><p>Okay, <b>that</b><span> was a fair suggestion, but she didn't feel like admitting it.</span></p><p>
  <span> "Anyway, so what happened next?" Nora prompted. "You and Cappie and the rest of the squad give her some positive vibes or something."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Maybe that would have been the way to go. "No." Alya straightened up. "We called her out for her inappropriate behavior, because friends are honest with each other. They let each other know when they mess up."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "So, like, you took her aside and discussed it quietly in private?" Nora asked, raising one eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Alya shook her head. "Anyway, there wasn't time. An akuma showed up and it was all chaos."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora was silent for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. "So supposing Baguette had managed to decline an evil butterfly, how likely is it that it would have been able to find someone else so quickly?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Alya had </span>
  <b>not</b>
  <span> considered that possibility at all. She'd been so focused on the fact that Marinette had to be lying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Why would you assume Baguette was in the wrong?" Nora asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Her actions spoke for themselves," Alya insisted, though now that the question was raised, she couldn't entirely ignore it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Isn't she human, sunshine?" Nora asked. "How would you feel if your best friend kicked you out of your seat, without asking, mind you, just so she could sit with her sweetie?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> That was a valid point, and it added to the slowly growing ugly feeling Alya started getting inside her chest after talking to Marinette's mom. "Nora, she was so insanely focused on proving that Lila was lying. It was kinda unhinged, honestly."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Nora nodded. "Marinette seems the sort of person to feel things with her entire being. But she also always seemed to care about others more than herself." </span>
  <span>Nora stood up. "I think I'll hit the gym after all. And maybe you should take some time to decide if you're absolutely sure Marinette was wrong about Lila."</span>
</p><p>Alya watched her older sister head to her room for her gym bag. The twins were still focused on their show, apparently oblivious to the conversation that had happened near by. Alya set her phone on the side table and stared out into Paris. Why had things gotten so complicated? Why couldn't they just go back to the way things were before? What if Marinette had been right? What would that mean for the class, for her blog? What kind of friend did that make her?</p><p>It was too much. She pushed it aside and took a deep breath. She needed to focus on her sisters for now. She could work the rest out later.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My apologies for taking so long in getting anything written.  While I should have more time right now due to the pandemic (not going anywhere, less paid work to do, etc), I'm herding distance learning kids (which isn't going well for ADHD kiddo) and I'm feeling burned out from household maintenance and efforts to keep everyone else in a good place.  So I haven't been writing anything much (though I'm trying to change that, because it's a self care thing for me).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Coming Clean</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Juleka tells Luka what's happened in her class (not realizing he's already heard about it from Marinette).  She's anxious and certain he's going to hate her, but Luka is the best big brother.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Reminder this is not fully compliant with Chameleon since Saltinette was written based on the trailer before the show aired, though I am mentally including some of the Chameleon and post-Chameleon Lila shenanigans as background. It's been about a month since Marinette withdrew from Dupont and two weeks since Luka ran into Marinette at his school.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juleka sat on the edge of the sofa cushion just outside her brother's room. It had been about two weeks since he'd built the wall she'd asked for, splitting their shared room to allow for a degree of privacy neither of them had ever had. Since then, it seemed Luka was busier with school, work, and his personal music projects. She told herself that life was like that, and it didn't mean he was pulling away from her. He didn't know what she'd done, not yet, anyway, so there was no reason for him to be avoiding her. He was in Lycee, and busy with his own classes and friends. And if she was correctly interpreting a recent call she'd overheard between him and Alan, there was a new girl at school. It was clear to everyone, including Juleka who'd never even <b>heard</b> about the girl, that her brother was smitten, but he was holding back for some reason.</p><p>She missed having him right there whenever she needed or wanted him, and he was so good at knowing when that was. She desperately needed her big brother right now. The last few weeks made her realize she'd taken him for granted. Just like she'd done with Marinette, and she was never going to get the kindest girl in Paris back. She didn't deserve her, really. But she couldn't risk losing Luka the same way.</p><p>She fidgeted with her bracelets, trying to slow her breathing when she realized it was coming in short shallow puffs. She didn't want to risk getting akumatized again, and even a regular panic attack felt horrible without adding magical assault. She wasn't quite back to baseline when Luka got home, so she didn't hear him until he was down the stairs.</p><p>"Hey Juleka," he said brightly. He seemed so happy right now, and it was a nice look for him. He paused in front of her, his head tilting a bit as he took her in. "Oof." His eyes widened in surprise. "Let me dump my crap. Stay right here." He moved into his room, unceremoniously dropping his backpack and bike helmet on the bed before unzipping the case that held the acoustic guitar he took everywhere. It was an upgrade from its predecessor and deserved safer accommodations.</p><p>He was back in a moment, settling himself beside her and swinging the guitar up to his thigh. "Close your eyes and just focus on the music."</p><p>"I need to talk to you," she blurted, her voice sounding thin and reedy.</p><p>"I know you do, Jules," he said gently. "And I'll be here to listen, okay," he promised. "But let's get you to a state where you can actually talk. Okay?"</p><p>She closed her eyes and nodded. He was right. She felt like she was drowning on dry land; there was no way she'd be able to explain anything.</p><p>"Good job," he said, his voice full of love and praise for her. "Just like that." His fingers ran lightly over the steel strings, coaxing out a song that was gentle and soothing. "You've got this, Jules," he whispered.</p><p>She did as he asked, accustomed to this situation. It was as comforting as it was comfortable, and she let the music wash over her. Her breathing gradually relaxed. Yes. This was <b>exactly</b> what she needed.</p><p>Eventually, Luka's spontaneous song (she never heard the exact same one twice during these sessions, so she knew he made it up to fit the moment) wound down. His hand left the strings to settle on her back. "Better now?" he asked.</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>"That looked like a rough one," he said, concern evident in his voice and his touch.</p><p>She nodded again.</p><p>"You had something you want to talk to me about," Luka said. "Is it related to whatever this was?"</p><p>She took a slow deep breath and opened her eyes. "Yeah." She looked away from his face, to her fingers, once again fiddling with her bracelets. He'd seemed to really like Marinette when he met her, and this would disappoint him. He even gone on that double date with her when she was trying to help Adrien get together with Kagami. She gasped. Marinette might have been jealous to see others pursue their model classmate, but she'd benched those feelings to help him achieve his own happiness. There was <b>no way</b> she would have done what Lila said she had, not if Lila was truly making Adrien happy.</p><p>"I messed up," she admitted, her eyes feeling hot and her vision going blurry.</p><p>"Okay," he said gently, his hand running up and down her spine. "You're human, Jules. We all mess up sometime."</p><p>"Yeah, but…" She swallowed hard. "I went along with others, even when something felt wrong." She was disgusting, a slug on the sidewalk. "My class threw away its heart and replaced it with a fake, something made of clockwork and cobwebs. We're broken and distant… maybe not intentionally, but just being in class is awkward and uncomfortable in a way its never ever been."</p><p>His hand left her back and she heard him setting aside his guitar before he gathered her close in his arms. "I'm so sorry."</p><p>She shook her head. "I hate myself." Her breath caught. "You're going to hate me too!"</p><p>"I won't hate you, Jules," he insisted. "I see how bad you feel about this. It was a mistake, a bad choice. And you may not be able to fix it, whatever it is, but that doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you human and flawed, just like the rest of us." He always knew what to say.</p><p>"How do I make it go back to the way it was?" she asked.</p><p>She felt his heavy sigh. "Sometimes we break things beyond repair," he admitted. "And if that's the case here, you're just going to have to accept it and try to learn from it, so you don't do it again."</p><p>It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but it sounded right, real. It was what she needed to hear right now. She nodded as hot tears trickled down her cheeks. "My classmates aren't good for me."</p><p>"What about Rose?" he asked, teasing gently.</p><p>"She's sweet, sure, but she's <b>so</b> naive." She shook her head. Falling in with Rose and the others had been a mistake. She'd given up on thinking for herself, just going along with the crowd. "And Marinette… she's gone." She wanted to look at him, but she was afraid of the disappointment she'd see there. She deserved it though, so she lifted her chin to meet his eyes. He looked a little sad, but there was no judgment. "We turned our backs on her. We fell for the words of someone new and shiny, but she was a trickster, rotten on the inside."</p><p>Luka nodded. "I'm sorry you're having to go through this." He gently tucked her hair behind her ears and dried her cheeks with his thumbs. "But it's good you can see where you went wrong, that you can accept your part in this. Lying to ourselves is the worst lie of all."</p><p>She saw her classmates doing that daily, refusing to see that they'd made a mistake and failing to learn from it.</p><p>"It's going to be hard, getting past this," Luka said. "And I'm here for you, okay?"</p><p>She nodded, so grateful that he was her brother.</p><p>"And I guess you'll need to decide how to handle this," he suggested. "What do <b>you</b> want to do next?"</p><p>She felt empty and her throat was dry. It was a hard decision, but it was the right one. "I need to switch schools, next year if it can't happen sooner." She'd been mulling this all over since she'd first truly realized how badly they'd stuffed up. "We're kids, and we're still learning how to work together. The teachers and staff are <b>supposed</b> to help us with this kind of thing, the social emotional stuff that Bustier is always talking about. But it's just lip-service at Dupont. They're tossing us into the Seine and letting us sink or swim on our own."</p><p>Luka nodded. "I think you're right about those flaws and what you need."</p><p>"I'm going to need to talk to Ma about this." That would be hard, but not as hard as telling Luka. Ma was too free-spirited to be overly disappointed in anything other than the way her daughter had gone along with the crowd and betrayed a friend.</p><p>"I'll be there for you," Luka promised.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those interested in the family drama, we ended up pulling my ADHD child for homeschool because she was bombing distance learning in a most spectacular fashion (which is both not great for her self esteem and not representative of her intelligence).  I've been doing bits of writing here and there and it's helping me feel better about our whole pandemic situation (the nicer weather is a good boon, too).</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feel free to visit me over on  <a href="http://freedom-shamrock.tumblr.com/">Tumblr! </a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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